Curse

Ouchie · Mar 08, 2007, 03:49 PM // 15:49

I know I am addicted

I do play everyday

however -
I still go to work (where i read the forums in between doing my paperwork)
I still do family events
I still go out for dinner/movies....

however
my husband plays GW as much as I do....
my two kids both play guildwars (not as much as I do but we have family GW nights and all play together)

however
I still make dinner/eat dinner with family
I still watch Tv
I still have other "family nights" we do
I still go to places with family

however
we did have a real life party when I got KoaBD to celebrate
I do buy mini pets in game as birthday presents for my family on their real life birthdays as well as real life presents

however
I would prefer to GW on a Firday Night than go dancing

so....

Do I need an intervention?

I would gladly sit down in my guild hall with friends - family and others ~~~and discuss it on teamspeak

wsmcasey · Mar 08, 2007, 03:52 PM // 15:52

Nobody mentions combining your addictions.

I like to drink beer

I like to eat unhealthy food

I like to play Guildwars

NOW, cold beer + unhealthy food + Guildwars = super addictive combo!!!

Tetris L · Mar 08, 2007, 03:58 PM // 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ouchie

I do buy mini pets in game as birthday presents for my family on their real life birthdays

LOL, I want a mum/wife like that!

Priest Of Sin · Mar 08, 2007, 04:02 PM // 16:02

Hello, fellow addict!

I daydream about Guild Wars.
I DREAM about Guild Wars
I Think about Guild Wars as I fall asleep.
I Think about Guild Wars all the time.
I read the manual in class when i'm bored.
I toy with little stories i've written about Guild Wars.
I attempt to do something productive on a computer, but I end up coming to the forums or just playing Guild Wars.
I've tried to stop, but I genuinely felt HORRID after a week. Couldn't focus, couldn't really do anything. I was in a bad mood all the time.
I play Guild Wars from 8:00pm untill 12:00am or later on weekdays.
I play Guild Wars from 6:00am untill 11:00am, then from 2:00pm untill 2:00am during the weekends, stopping briefly for dinner.

About the only time I don't think about Guild Wars is when i'm with my girlfriend.

BUT... I decided to attempt to get a scholarship on my Viola (musical instrument) this year, so the only thing that's gotten my to pry my fingers away from the keyboard was the 4 hours of practice a day I do. But even then, I find myself thinking about Guild Wars.

It is very easy to become addicted to a game, especially when there's always something "new" to do in the game. Money to be had, armor to craft, weapons to find, bosses to kill. My account is UAX on PvE characters. All my characters have nearly 7.5 mil (on my necro I have much, much more), and it is really, REALLY sad.

I feel your pain, m8. I will not be purchasing Guild Wars 2, as that game will become even more of an obsession for me. I would quit, but I honestly don't think I can. I've met too many people, and I don't think I could just drop them.

I play too damn much

FFF_Mara · Mar 08, 2007, 04:12 PM // 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ouchie

my two kids both play guildwars (not as much as I do but we have family GW nights and all play together)

however
we did have a real life party when I got KoaBD to celebrate
I do buy mini pets in game as birthday presents for my family on their real life birthdays as well as real life presents

I love this. Jsut imagine ppl you had parents you can share your enthusiasm with. Its really cool i think. Although i was always able to have discussions with my mum about books its jsut different as you cant really read together. Not in the way like you can game together.

Chieftain Heavyhand · Mar 08, 2007, 04:39 PM // 16:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Domino

The only game I was ever addicted to was Diablo II. The summer that it came out, I would play ALL day long, and then into the wee hours of the night. I wouldn't eat or sleep for what seemed like days... needless to say it wasn't a pretty picture.

I think younger children are more suceptible to "game addiction" because you've got all this time on your hands. I've never been game addicted since.

I've got a college courseload, job,g/f,friends, and bills to worry about now. The 13-hour-gaming days are a thing of the past. I think I played for 6 hours once a few Saturdays ago, but for the most part I'm lucky if I get 2 hours a week of GW play time in.

Yea I'm in that boat. DII consumed my life.

Now I can't imagine being able to put that kind of time into a game. I am a casual GW player. I try to play a few hours a day and as much as time will allow on weekends.

My wife clams I'm addicted but if I put the same time into GW as I did DII she'd know what addiction was like. Funny thing is I actually like GW better than Diablo, but I just can’t make my self put that kind of time into it.

I guess that comes with age. So fear not you'll grow out of it. Maybe

Darksun · Mar 08, 2007, 05:20 PM // 17:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by drumer1029

Also, taking periodic breaks from the game help a lot. Take a week or two off once in a while, this helps with keeping a grip on reality, and keeps the game from getting stale.

That's some damn good advice man.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Priest Of Sin

I've tried to stop, but I genuinely felt HORRID after a week. Couldn't focus, couldn't really do anything. I was in a bad mood all the time.

This may very well be normal withdrawal. It will take longer than a week or so to push through it. I'd encourage you to try again but try to have others help you through that difficult time. Dunno man.

Kalki · Mar 08, 2007, 06:54 PM // 18:54

I'm pretty much going through the same thing as the OP right now although I never told myself I would "quit" Guild Wars. Before the start of this year I was VERY obsessed with Guild Wars, and I played it many hours a day. I haven't played much in the past few months for a number of reasons:

I was starting to get out of shape, and I needed to lose some weight. (6' and 250 lbs... not too fat

) I'm currently down to 235 and I think I can get down to 220 lbs. for the summer.

I started learning how to play poker and got really interested in it. I wish Guild Wars had poker or casinos. Anet, if you're listening make note that FFVII is one of the best RPG's of all time and it had a casino

Poker has gotten really boring lately so I'm learning how to play darts.

I have an obsessive personality, but I'm also open-minded. When I have a hobby, I spend LOTS of my day thinking about it, when I'm not doing it. Unfortunately, my main hobby for the past few months has been work, and my job SUCKS. When I'm obsessed about work, people don't seem to like me. LOL. I'm a perfectionist, and I can't tolerate laziness and sloppy work.

I don't know if I would call Guild Wars or WoW addictive though. I wouldn't get the shakes or anything from quitting Guild Wars. I think I'd save the word addiction for behavior related to drugs like alcohol or cigarettes. I don't do any drugs. I gave up caffeine cold turkey EASY 1 year ago, when I realized it was giving me chronic headaches, and making me feel worn out. Being obsessive I always need to obsess about something, but it doesn't need to be Guild Wars. Guild Wars is A LOT of fun, but it's not the peak of existence. 5 years from now I hope I'm not still doing the same job, just making ends meet, and playing Guild Wars. I'd like to find a wife and start a family.

What I like about playing Guild Wars is that it's my own private world. I can obsess about it without drawing the attention of critics (aka leaving the house). When I start obsessing about the problems of the real world, like the Iraq War (which I'm 100% opposed to), destruction of the enviroment, or the degrading of our civil liberties (especially 1st and 2nd Amendment rights) people stop finding me likable. It doesn't make me "unhappy" to be criticized, but no one wants to live feeling misunderstood and hated by people they care about and love. My dogs and Guild Wars keeps me sane in the insane world we live in.

Novalon · Mar 08, 2007, 07:45 PM // 19:45

For me, it was moving to a place where there is no cable internet. Satellite Internet is what my parents wished to have, and while it is better for browsing... I can't say the same for gaming.

Did I have an addiction? I really can't say, most of my friends have games that they play to a large point, but none of us really took time out of our social lives to play them. For instance, I used to play GW late, usually after finishing homework, but it never really did detract from what my normal sleeping habits would have been anyhow.

I am going to move out, now GW isn't really the main reason, I would just really like to live closer to college, and it would be nice to get an apartment with a few friends of mine, but living in a more urban area with access to a better connection will fuel my GW playing once again.

And I do miss the discussions with my guild over teamspeak, they were a really good group of people, one that still leaves my spot warm for the day that I will return when I will be able to monk effectively again.

MagicWarrior · Mar 08, 2007, 08:37 PM // 20:37

Society has given online gamers a bad reputation. Sure, there are extreme cases of addiction to online games (like causing starvation, complete social isolation, ignoring all responsibilities like school and job, etc.) and because of it online gamers are viewed as really bad. Absolutely anything can become an addiction. In fact, I know someone who is so addicted to reading fantasy novels... she reads morning, lunch and after dinner. On weekends, she does nothing but eat and read all day (probably totalling over 10 hours each day of reading). She easily finishes a few books every week. Yet, no one views her as having a problem - just a "hobby" that she "really enjoys".

As for my own example: My wife will complain about the gaming I do each week. She's one of those people that views gaming as a complete utter waste of time. I have given up trying to make her understand that the less than 8 hours I play per week is something I enjoy to do and is entertaining and relaxing... so instead I just wake up early every Saturday and Sunday and get as much GW time in as I can while they are sleeping. The way I see it... no online game is more important to me than spending time with my wife and kid. This is my measure of knowing I am not addicted, because although I am always looking forward to playing, I believe my life is under my own control (or my wife's control - depending on how you view it - hahahahaha...) and I am making the choices I believe are best.

In terms of examining each one of us, I believe it's important to know what you can afford. For instance, if you have exams in a week and have barely studied, then can you really afford to play 10 hours of GW every day that week and potentially end up flunking? If that big project at work is due the next day and you haven't finished it, can you afford to PvP all night at the risk of losing your job?

In life, there are a lot of things out of our control and a lot of things that are within our control. Many things in life come down to the choices we make on a daily basis. The decisions we make ultimately dictate the life we choose to live. When online gaming causes you to no longer make the right choices in life, then that's when it becomes a problem. It's not about whether you play 2 hours a week or 30 hours a week, it's all about whether you can afford to invest your time in it and not let it control your life.

If you feel online gaming has become a problem, try taking a break from it for a while (or at least reduce the amount of time you spend playing each day or week). You may then be able to re-evaluate the situation and determine what balance works best for you.

Hope this helps.

Edge Martinez · Mar 09, 2007, 05:42 AM // 05:42

Sometimes things are called an addiction only because other people think they are bad.

I play pool more than I play GW, but people don't think it's bad because I've got a talent.

I think about the Yankees, Jets, Islanders, Seminoles and Arsenal more than I think about GW, but people don't think it's bad because guys are supposed to like sports.

I have XM radio at home, a CD player in the car, an IPOD for work, and am always listening to music and talking about artists, but people don't think it's bad because music encourages creativity.

I play with my dog, but that's not bad because dogs are mans best friend.

I check email often and read the news online, but that's cool because OMG junior is tech savvy.

I log on for one [email protected] tombs run and you'd think the damn world was ending from all the crap I catch.

myword · Mar 09, 2007, 06:52 AM // 06:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edge Martinez

Sometimes things are called an addiction only because other people think they are bad.

I play pool more than I play GW, but people don't think it's bad because I've got a talent.

I think about the Yankees, Jets, Islanders, Seminoles and Arsenal more than I think about GW, but people don't think it's bad because guys are supposed to like sports.

I have XM radio at home, a CD player in the car, an IPOD for work, and am always listening to music and talking about artists, but people don't think it's bad because music encourages creativity.

I play with my dog, but that's not bad because dogs are mans best friend.

I check email often and read the news online, but that's cool because OMG junior is tech savvy.

I log on for one [email protected] tombs run and you'd think the damn world was ending from all the crap I catch.

yes but all the things you mentioned are diverse activities, they do not revolve around one thing

even hobbies can become an unhealthy addiction if your life becomes centered around it and it affects you ability to function

----

incidentally, addiction and MMOs have been getting alot of talk time in my lectures on social psychiatry lately =x

ElinoraNeSangre · Mar 09, 2007, 07:40 AM // 07:40

I go through phases. There are times when I want to play more than I probably should. However, I try to think about it this way - if I'm happy, healthy, doing well at work, and living an otherwise balanced life, is really enjoying a video game such a big deal? Sure, getting 15k armor is sweet, but it's not nearly as sweet as getting behind the drums and nailing a song I've been working on for months. It's really what you do with it, I'm not so sure it's healthy to put all of one's energy into one outlet anyway.

I actually used to be, of all things, an exercise addict - seems like a great idea, until you start shunning everything else to get just one more workout in, just lift a little more weight, and then you start to wonder, does it mean THAT much? It's quite possible to be healthy without running yourself into the ground. In my case, I ended up having a breakdown, didn't sleep for two weeks, kept trying to lift weights anyway, and in the end caused way more harm than good because my body just couldn't keep up with the strain I kept putting it under with no sleep on top of it.

So yes too much of anything = bad.

Sirus Dibley · Mar 09, 2007, 09:42 AM // 09:42

Since Guild Wars has been released i have spent a lot of time playing it. Factions came out played that a lot , then Nightfall which out of the 3 I played the least. Decided to try Vanguard and realised just how good Guild Wars is.

Started a Monk in Prophecies and was shocked by the team work and helpfulness of the players there , was almost like old times , before the dark times , before the heroes.......

DarkGanni · Mar 09, 2007, 02:08 PM // 14:08

5,130hrs total gaming time on gw over 21months I know I'm completely addicted and quitting isnt an option for me atm, also in rehab program to make me reduce the time spent gaming and do other things, Guildwars is my first game i got addicted so much.

Etta · Mar 09, 2007, 02:20 PM // 14:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkGanni

5,130hrs total gaming time on gw over 21months

Man! that's unreal, the only thing that can stop you is the sword of a 1000 truths.

mqstout · Mar 09, 2007, 03:08 PM // 15:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dracil

As I discovered, I spend more time talking about games than actually playing it. Because not playing it, you can think of how fun it is to play it, while actually playing it, you notice all the stuff that you don't like about it.

If only that had not become truer with each expansion

Loeil Battlecow · Mar 09, 2007, 03:32 PM // 15:32

I know feeling, I played during 3.5 years to Everquest (1999-2002). Its the ancestor of WoW for people who dont know.

When I stoped EQ, I had 9000 hours on my lifeclock. Barely 7hours per day during 3.5 years.

3 years later I tryed GW and Im ok with it now. Since Im doing only PVE, I dont need to play like a machine to be in the elite...thats what I like in GW.

Dont bough GW2 unless you are sure to control yourself.
Dont try Ogame (I tryed and when I saw the same symptomes I had with EQ I stopped immediatly)

Lord Zado · Mar 09, 2007, 03:47 PM // 15:47

I guess you also have to ask yourself why you are so addicted to the game? I used to love leveling new characters. I have 2 accounts and a ton of characters. Then I moved on from that to focus more on getting gold. I never liked solo farming, but small group runs like Sorrow's Furnace were fun for me. Then from there I decided I had all the gold I needed and too many characters, but let me take my favorite character and go for titles.

All these things are game related and can be considered grinding. If you skip out on things for these reasons, then ya, playing all the time can be considered unhealthy. For the last 4-5 months though, I primarily get on because I like my guildmates. I like helping them with random missions and quests. Chatting and joking with them. Just good times all around. In the process, I make gold, gain titles and advance characters, but those things aren't what drive me to get on and play all the time. I just miss hanging out with my friends when I'm not on.

Priest Of Sin · Mar 09, 2007, 04:28 PM // 16:28

I only played for an hour yesterday. It's alot easier to stop after a PvE mission, I've found. Those who are hopelessly addicted (like myself) might want to try that, even though it means you really can't do hardcore PvP or PvE... I'm going to wean myself off the game instead of going cold turkey. Maybe do a mission each day, farm for an hour. Beats the hell out of my 5 hour a day sessions.